1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dispensing device for premoistened wipes, specifically a dispenser which mounts and attaches to a conventional toilet-tissue roll holder for providing premoistened wipes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bathrooms are generally equipped with conventional toilet-tissue roll holders. These holders are designed to support, display, and provide convenient access to the typical toilet-tissue roll. The conventional holder is composed of a telescoping spring biased retractable spindle mounted between a pair of forwardly projecting posts. Bearing sockets are located on the posts which receive the journal ends of the spindle. The toilet-tissue roll is supported by the spindle.
The normal bathroom toilet routine is for using dry toilet-tissue for cleaning. But it has become apparent that this routine is often insufficient for the elevated concern of personal hygiene and personal needs of many individuals. To solve these concerns and needs, products of premoistened tissues, cloths, sheets, wipes, and towelettes are now a common and welcomed consumer product. However, even though premoistened wipes are available, there is no generally accepted or commercially successful dispenser for combining the premoistened wipes and dry toilet-tissue on the conventional toilet-tissue roll holder. Therefore, the consumer available premoistened wipe dispensers are separate stand alone dispensing units which must be placed or stored at inconvenient locations within bathrooms.
By way of representation of the typical prior art structures which have attempted to solve the identified problem, the following U.S. Patents are representative of premoistened wipe dispensers associated with conventional toilet-tissue roll holders.
A number of various patents were issued to Boone in his attempts to find a feasible and workable solution of providing moistened and dry tissue in combination from different types of dispensers. Boone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,687 (1977), discloses several dispenser holding devices which attach by sliding them onto one post of a standard roll-type toilet tissue holder for positioning a cylindrical container adjacent to one end of the holder. Similiarly, Boone, U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,616 (1978), reveals several devices which attach by various arm members to a standard toilet-tissue dispenser for positioning containers adjacent to the dispenser. Both of the above referenced patents illustrate awkward means of attachment for holding dispensers, and require additional manufactured hardware and parts for suspending the dispensers. The above mentioned dispensers with their supporting parts are not aesthetically pleasing since they lack visual continuity and balance. Furthermore, these dispensers are deficient in their support means, and lack simplicity for acceptance by consumers.
Boone in both U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,617 (1978) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,333 (1980), describes bathroom fixtures which make available both conventional toilet-tissue and supplemental premoistened sheets. The objections to these fixtures are that the consumer must purchase a new expensive and elaborate permanent fixture, incur cost and time expenditures with the installation of a complicated fixture, and discard the useful standard conventional toilet-tissue fixture. A further deficiency of the fixtures by Boone is that the fixtures require approximately twice the mounting space as compared to the conventional fixtures. Therefore, the fixtures that Boone describes do not provide a cost effective solution to the identified problem. Also, Boones' fixtures are not compact and they over utilize the limited space which is available in the proximity of toilets in most bathrooms. Furthermore, tens of millions of existing useful conventional toilet-tissue dispensers would have to be discarded and replaced if the general public accepted Boones' solutions to the problem.
Phillips, U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,095 (1990), illustrates and describes a harness for hitching a moistened-tissue dispenser onto and underneath a conventional toilet-tissue roll holder so that a user has ready access to either type of tissue. The harness as described for supporting the cylindrical dispenser is made from synthetic plastic sheeting. Phillip's invention has deficiencies in function and appearance in providing a workable and acceptable solution to the identified problem. The harness as described would be unable to support the upward removal of tissues from the cylindrical dispenser since the dispenser dangles from the harness. A user would have to inconveniently bend over and hold the dispenser in one hand while removing tissue with the other hand. Also, a user would usually inadvertently touch the dry tissue with the moistened tissue because of the upward removal of tissue from the inferior positioned moistened tissue dispenser. Furthermore, the device by Phillips has an unappealing appearance because of the cylindrical dispenser hanging underneath the toilet-tissue roll holder. This arrangement does not exhibit a harmonious blending of the dispenser and roll holder since it does not appear as a combined and integral dispensing device in combination with the roll holder. Also, Phillips harness must be connected to the dispenser by removing the lid to the premoistened wipe dispenser, fitting the hoop of the harness onto the dispenser, installing the lid back on the dispenser, and then the harness must be hitched to the journal ends of the roll holder. Therefore, the harness is also inconvenient and time consuming in its installation.
Madison, Great Britain Pat. No. 2,113,655 (1983), describes a tissue dispenser so dimensioned and arranged as to supported on and by a bracket of a toilet roll holder. The dispenser as described will only function properly with a toilet roll holder which is specifically designed for use with Madison's dispenser. The majority of roll holders which are in use do not have flattened horizontal surfaces on the top of the posts and the back plate to support the dispenser of Madison. The dispenser also interferes with the unwinding of the toilet tissue roll since it rests on the top of the roll in an awkward tipped forwardly position. Furthermore, Madison shows the toilet tissue roll mounted on the spindle so that the roll will unwind in a counter clockwise direction. If the toilet roll is mounted to unwind in a clockwise direction, Madison's dispenser would ride upward on the roll and would not be held firmly. The dispenser has insufficient support to function satisfactorily if the roll is mounted to unwind clockwise. Therefore, Madison's tissue dispenser has functional deficiencies and it can only be used with a limited number of roll holders.
Harkins in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,317 (1980) describes a toilet paper unrolling fixture which enables the user to quickly tear a length of toilet paper from the roll. The fixture as described and illustrated by Harkins is incapable of providing supplemental products such as premoistened wipes and other accessory toiletry products from the toilet tissue roll holder. Harkins does not teach, show, or suggest that his fixture can be redesigned and used for solving other problems.